Gateway Criteria
The Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) is the new name for the Quality Payments Scheme, which forms part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF). Further information (including FAQ) can be found on the PSNC Pharmacy Quality Scheme page
The Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) is the new name for the Quality Payments Scheme, which forms part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF).
Have you met the Gateway Criterion?
To see if you have met the Gateway Criteria (full details are shown below) then check the PQS dataset information which is available under PQS DATA on the BSA website (This is an excel document. ).
Datasets will be published every Friday from 4 October 2019 to 2 March 2020 with a two week gap between 27 December 2019 and 3 January 2020.
PSNC Briefing 051.19 CPCF important dates and checklist (V1) word
PSNC Briefing 051.19 CPCF important dates and checklist (V1) pdf
CPCF Contractor Calendar 2019 – 2020 – This CPCF timeline has been developed so important dates are not missed.
NHS E Link: Pharmacy Quality Scheme Guidance and Annexes
Links direct to these documents:
pharmacy quality scheme guidance 19-20 (pdf)
pharmacy quality scheme 19-20 annexes (pdf)
pharmacy quality scheme 19-20 annexes (word document)
PSNC-Briefing-029.19-The-Pharmacy-Quality-Scheme-2019-20
Pharmacy Quality Scheme and Important dates – 2019-20
Further information (including FAQ) can be found on the PSNC Pharmacy Quality Scheme page
PSNC Five-Year Deal on CPCF webinar
The Gateway Criteria
There are four gateway criteria which contractors must meet. As per previous declarations, passing the gateway criteria will not, in and of itself, earn a payment for the pharmacy.
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Advanced services
The contractor must be offering at the pharmacy the NHS Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and/or the New Medicine Service (NMS).
If a contractor is declaring that they provide the Flu Vaccination Service and/or NMS at the pharmacy to meet this gateway criterion, they should ensure that either or both of these services are listed on their NHS.UK profile.
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NHSmail
Pharmacy staff at the pharmacy must be able to send and receive NHSmail from their shared premises NHSmail mailbox, which must have at least two active linked accounts.
Each pharmacy’s designated mailbox owner can add and remove personal NHSmail addresses to or from a pharmacy’s premises-shared NHSmail account as required. If your pharmacy does not have a shared NHSmail account or two live linked accounts, PSNC’s NHSmail page contains further guidance.
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NHS website
On the day of the declaration, the contractor must update its NHS website profile in respect of its opening hours (including Easter Sunday 2020 and the following public and bank holidays:
- Christmas Day 2019;
- Boxing Day 2019;
- New Year’s Day 2020;
- Good Friday 2020;
- Easter Monday 2020;
- Early May Bank Holiday 2020; and
- Spring Bank Holiday 2020),
services and facilities and promptly update this as information changes (including Easter Sunday and public and bank holiday opening hours) to ensure the information is accurate for the public (to be eligible for the PQS 2019/2020 payment. This will have to be done between 00:00am on 1st October 2019 and 11:59pm on 30th November 2019). Distance selling pharmacies must send an email to the NHSBSA Provider Assurance Team between 00:00 on 1st October 2019 and 23:59 on 30th November 2019 as per the NHSE&I PQS 2019/20 guidance.
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Safeguarding Level 2
80% of all pharmacy professionals have achieved Level 2 safeguarding status for children and vulnerable adults in the last two years.
Registered pharmacy professionals are pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This includes locums, so contractors should encourage temporary staff, such as locum pharmacists, to undertake the training and assessment.
Level 2 safeguarding training may be available to pharmacy staff locally (for example, organised by local authorities or other providers) or via the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE). This may be completed online or by attending a CPPE workshop; please check the CPPE website for further details. Pharmacy professionals should check with the training provider and satisfy themselves that the training they are completing enables them to attain Level 2 safeguarding status.